Russian Orthodox Startsy

[Little_Boy_Lost]

Hi all,

A couple questions. Does anyone have a list of notable Russian Startsy? I figured Seraphim of Sarov and all the saints whose writings make up the Little Russian Philokalia are Startsy.

Was the time of the startsy between the publishing of the Philokalia in Russian and the Bolshevik revolution?

Are there any nuns that are consider startsy or of that status?

Thanks!

 

[Phillip_Rolfes]

Apart from the Little Russian Philokalia, which you mentioned and I highly recommend, another pre-eminent Russian startsy is St. Theophan the Recluse. Indeed I would venture to claim that he and St. Seraphim of Sarov are probably the two most famous of the Russian startsy. Check out anything by St. Theophan. His writings are incredible and much more “contemporary” than the writings of the Greek Philokalia - or perhaps it would be better to say that he takes the teachings of the Greek Philokalia and applies them to more contemporary situations and in a more contemporary language.

Sadly I’m not qualified to even take an educated guess at your other questions.

 

[Alexander_Roman]

Starchestvo or the group of spiritual guides in the East known as “Elders” began in the Thebaid with the various holy Fathers.

In Russia and Ukraine, St Paissy Velichkovsky, who translated the Philokalia, was a great Staretz and teacher of the Jesus Prayer who raised up many others in ten different cultural/national groups.

The Optina Fathers such as St Moses of Optina were great Startsi in the Paisian tradition - people would only go to them for spiritual advice after attending Confession and Communion and praying a full round of the Daily Office . . .

The Startsi of the Roslavl Forests, such as the Elder Melchisedek who lived to over 100 years were another tradition.

The Glinsk hermitage, whose Startsi were recently canonized by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, represented another Paisian school.

St Laurentius of Chernihiv was a Staretz who died in 1950.

Then there were women such as St Dosithea of the Kyivan Caves Lavra (who dressed as a man and became the Archimandrite - only after her death was her true gender revealed).

The Blessed Alipia of the Kyiv Caves Lavra was another woman in this same tradition.

So much for now.

Alex